Lewis Says Black Athletes 'Made Better' Than Whites

SPORTS THIS MORNING

Baseball star Mike Schmidt says blacks are ''much more suited to the sporting environment,'' and anthropologist Robert Malina says black children usually run faster and jump higher than whites.

The statements are made on a one-hour NBC special that tackles the sensitive subject of race and sports. ''Black Athletes - Fact and Fiction,'' which airs tonight at 10 EDT, tries to explain why blacks dominate many American sports. Some say the reasons are genetic; others point to social and cultural factors.

Last year CBS-TV fired Jimmy ''The Greek'' Snyder after he said blacks were bred to be good athletes. The program is sure to revive the controversy.